tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439547166293475503.post8589477265184306514..comments2023-02-10T01:43:43.466-07:00Comments on Young Earth Creationists Anonymous: Do hippos have morals?Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15462218340570164741noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439547166293475503.post-10637534068734635752008-07-10T10:12:00.000-06:002008-07-10T10:12:00.000-06:00Well said Nicholas! I would most likely agree with...Well said Nicholas! I would most likely agree with that. An alternative however is IF the hippo is a female she may have had the maternal instinct to protect the impala. There have been numerous examples of maternal instincts of species causing such interactions. It did appear to be very gentle with the impala so I feel it's a possibility. Also because hippos are one of the more intelligent species, its curiosity may have also helped in the unusual behavior because like you said its not everyday a hippo can get that close to an impala.flashfoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01333245157876798039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439547166293475503.post-30312985453683189322008-06-10T14:22:00.000-06:002008-06-10T14:22:00.000-06:00Thanks for the comment, Nicholas! You've caught me...Thanks for the comment, Nicholas! You've caught me doing that thing I'm all too guilty of -- anthropomorphizing Hippo behavior. I'll get back to criticizing other humans' anthropomorphizing their deities once I get this log out of my eye.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15462218340570164741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439547166293475503.post-44842817853109516062008-06-10T13:29:00.000-06:002008-06-10T13:29:00.000-06:00There are two separate events in this behavioral s...There are two separate events in this behavioral sequence:<BR/>1- the hippo chased the crocodile.<BR/>2- the hippo interacts with the agonizing impala. <BR/>the most parsimonious explanation for event 1 is that hippos don't usually tolerate crocodiles in their territories, mostly because they're a threat to their offspring. There is no need to postulate any kind of altruism in this action. If anything, the struggle just attracted the hippo's attention.<BR/>Event 2 can be explained in the following way: hippos don't appreciate decomposing bodies in their pool (they don't know what they're missing!)and they tend to clean up their territories. So the hippo takes the body to the shore, only to find it it still moving. Now that's intriguing! Usually hippos can't get close enough to live impalas to actually touch them. So this interesting object is investigated, using the mouth which is really the only organ hippos can use to investigate anything... Again, postulating "an attempt to revive the impala" is not the most parsimonious explanation.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12403312267180413308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439547166293475503.post-64212596400761370682008-06-09T10:17:00.000-06:002008-06-09T10:17:00.000-06:00Yes.Sniff.Yes.<BR/><BR/>Sniff.Psiloiordinaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12235629211359287564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439547166293475503.post-82752713809201893972008-06-09T09:29:00.000-06:002008-06-09T09:29:00.000-06:00Oh! Like the mancold!Oh! Like the <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/v/z36NMeJISLo&hl=en" REL="nofollow">mancold!</A>Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15462218340570164741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439547166293475503.post-77237068122075680772008-06-09T00:31:00.000-06:002008-06-09T00:31:00.000-06:00"man flu" which is almost always fatal is alternat..."man flu" which is almost always fatal is alternatively known as "a bit of a sniff" when caught by women.<BR/><BR/>- - -<BR/><BR/>Exams mainly.Psiloiordinaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12235629211359287564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439547166293475503.post-20658665544939038412008-06-08T15:16:00.000-06:002008-06-08T15:16:00.000-06:00...deep in the depths of deadly man flu...Is that ...<I>...deep in the depths of deadly man flu...</I><BR/><BR/>Is that why you haven't updated your blog?<BR/><BR/>Is man flu better or worse than bird flu? (Note the implications for man-made vs. other-animal-made (aka "natural") pestilence on the earth in your reply). Either way, I hope you get to feeling better soon.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15462218340570164741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4439547166293475503.post-75239108616452142672008-06-08T14:34:00.000-06:002008-06-08T14:34:00.000-06:00It is well known that Hippos are immoral.I suspect...It is well known that Hippos are immoral.<BR/><BR/>I suspect that either the Impala has paid his protection money or that the croc is a member of a rival gang and the impala just a lucky bystander.<BR/><BR/>Psi<BR/><BR/>(deep in the depths of deadly man flu and having taken a wonderful mix of various cough medicines - which maybe affecting my usual judgement)Psiloiordinaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12235629211359287564noreply@blogger.com